Wrecking-boat



(N0 Mode1,\

A. MGDOUGALL.

WREGKING BOAT.

Patented Deo. 27,1892.

if Il N lll UNITED STATES ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

PATENT OFFICE.

WRECKING-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,574, dated December27, 1892. Application led September 17,1891. Serial No. 406,011. (Nomodel.) 'y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MODOU- GALL, a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing in Duluth, county of St. Louis, State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrecking-Boats; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to various new and .useful improvements in Wreckingvessels,

that is to say, a vessel adapted to be used in raising sunken wrecks,removing rocks, snags, &c. I propose to take one of the improved towboats or steam tow boats, invented by me and described and claimed invarious Let` ters Patent and applications for Letters Patent, and placea number of heavy metal pipes, arranged vertically therein, in line Witheach other and extended from the extreme bottom to the extreme top ofthe boat.v These pipes will not interfere in any way with the carryingcapacity of the boat so that it may be used for carrying freight and fortowing other boats when not engaged in wrecking. When the vessel is tovbe used in raising ysunken wrecks I will first place a suitable woodenor metallic scaffold within the hull adjacent to each vertical pipe, andresting on the false bottom so as to firmly support the top or deck andbring all the strain upon the bottom of the boat which is the strongestpart of the boat. Two of these vessels will now be moved to the scene ofthe wreck and will be placed on each side of the sunken boat, andparallel therewith. A very heavy chain will then be passed down througheach vertical pipe and is to be firmly secured at its upper end,preferably by means of aheavy steel bar pressing through one of thelinks of thechain and resting upon the deck. These chalns are now passedunder the sunken vessel by divers or by other means, and the chains fromone wrecking boat are secured to the chains of the other wrecking boat.Water is now pumped into the Water bottom and tanks of each wreckingvessel, or into the hull of each vessel so as to submerge each boat tothe proper level which will slack up the chains. This slack is now takenup so as to make the chains taut and the water is pumped out of eachWrecking vessel by means of the steam pumps which are carried on eachboat. Each boat being now lightened will rise and the sunken boat willbe carried clear ofthe bottom so as to swing on the supporting chains.The two vessels are now moved in toward shoaler water until the wreckgrounds. The wrecking vessels are now again submerged, by pumping waterinto them, and the slack of the chains is again taken up. Once more thewrecking vessels are relieved of the water therein by the steam pumpsand the slinken boat will be again raised and moved in toward shoalerwater and again grounded. These operations are continued until the wreckhas been raised sufficiently to be relieved of its cargo and pumpedout.V As is well known the operation of raising submerged wrecks can begreatly facilitated by working with the tide, so as to pump the waterinto the wrecking vessel on a low tide or when the tide is going out,and pumping the water out of each wrecking vessel on a high tide or whenthe tide is coming in. In this Way the rise of the tide will be utilizedin lifting the wreck. The principal object of my present invention isthe production of an improved wrecking vessel which can also be used forcarrying freight or for towing other vessels when provided withpropelling mechanism, and which will be of the highest efficiency inboth capacities. t

Another object of the invention is to produce a wrecking vessel whereinall the strain will be brought on the bottom thereof and not on the deckas is now the case, and Wherein the Weight of the wreck will be impendedfrom the central part of the boat so that there can be no danger of the.wrecking vessel being thrown out of her equilibrium.

For a better comprehension of my present invention attention is directedto the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciflcation, andin which- Figure l-is a longitudinal view partly in section of one of myimproved tow boats when used as a wrecking vessel: Fig. 2-a

cross sectional view7 of the same, and Fig. 3 an end elevationillustrating the manner of putting the improved wrecking vessel in use.

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In all of the above views corresponding parts are designated byidenticalletters of reference. g

A--is one of my improved tow boats converted into a wrecking vessel.

The particular form of boat illustrated in the drawings is similar inmost respects to that patented by me in this countryv on June 3, 1890,and numbered 429,468, being provided with an arched top; a curvedbottom; straight parallel sides; a spoon shaped bow and a skeaged stern.

B-is the water bottom, beneath the false bottom, upon which the cargorests, and C and D are water tanks which are placed in the bow and sternof the vessel, beneath the iioors of the forecastle and after cabinrespectively. The water bottom B and tanks C and D are to be filled withand relieved of water by means of steam pumps which are carried on eachvessel and which may be placed eitherin the bow or stern or both. Ifdesired there may be suitable connections from the said steam pump orpumps by which water may be pumped into and out of the hull proper ofthe vessel.

E-E-are a number of heavy metallic pipes which are arranged one in frontof the other in the hull ot' the vessel and extending from the extremebottom to the extreme top thereof.

F-is a heavy angle iron collar at the bottom part of each pipe E. Thevertical iange of each collar F is riveted to the inside of the lowerpart of each pipe. By means of this collar F the lower part of each pipeis secured very firmly and there is no danger of leaking.

By extending the vertical flange of the collar F up into the interior ofits respective pipe E itprevents anychafing or wearingby the chain whichpasses down through the pipe.

G-is an angle iron collar secured to the outside of each pipe E and tothe top of the false bottom and serves to strengthen the pipe at thispoint. This collar also gives a bearing for the false bottom on thepipes E E-and prevents water from leaking into the hold of the vesselfrom the Water bottom.

H-is another angle iron collar which is riveted to the inside of eachpipe E and to the bottom side of the top or deck of the Vessel. When theimproved vessel is to be used for the purpose of raising submergedwrecks I make use of a suitable scaffold I, which is built up in anysuitable way between the false bottom and the top or deck of the vessel,as shown in Figs. l and 2. By means of this scaffolding the strain whichis imposed on the deck is taken up by the false bottom and from thenceby the intermediate frame work to the bottom of the vessel which is bestcalculated to stand this strain as it rests upon the water. It will beunderstood that this scaffolding is only temporary and is to be usedonly when the vessel is to be used as a wrecking boat.

J -J-are chains which pass down through the pipes E-E-and are providedwith some suitable device, such as a heavy steel bar passing through oneof the links by which the chains may be supported by the deck of thevessel in such a manner that any slack may be quickly and easily takenup. At thelower end of each chain is a suitable form of tackle or hookby which the chains from one wrecking vessel may be securely fastened tothe chains of the other wrecking vessel.

In Fig. S-is very clearly shown the manner of putting myiinprovedwrecking vesselsinto use in wrecking a submerged steam boat. Twowrecking vessels are moved to the scene of the wreck and are placed oneon each side and parallel therewith. The chains .I of the two boatsarenow passed down by means of divers or by other means, and are securedtogether beneath the wreck. The steam pumps on each wrecking vessel arenow set in oper-- ation and a sufficient quantity of water is now pumpedinto the water bottom and tanks of each vessel to submerge her to aproper position. The slack is now taken up in the chains J-J-and thewater pumped out of each wrecking boat. This will cause the two boats torise and the wreck will be raised clear of the bottom and will hangsuspended by the chains J-.I--. The wrecking vessels are now towed intoshoaler water until the wreck is grounded and the above operations arerepeated until the wreck has been raised suficiently to be pumped outand relieved of the cargo. By making use of the rise and fall of thetide, as has before been described, the raising of wrecks will begreatly facilitated.

In case the water which will be contained in the water bottom and tanksis insufficient to properly submerge the vessels, water may be pumpeddirectly into the hold of the vessel.

Having now described my present invention what I claim as new thereinand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as followsz An improvedwrecking vessel, consisting of a hull, having a curved top, straightparallel sides,-spoonshaped bow and skeaged stern, and water-tankswithin said hull; vertical pipes E, E, extending through said hull fromtop to bottom; and chains J, J, passing down through said pipes,substantially as set forth.

ALEXANDER MCDOU GALL.

In presence of- FRANK L. DYER, ARTHUR A. Eos.

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